Wearable haptic and touch communication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016018920-A1
Application number	US-201414334775-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 18, 2014
Priority date	Jul 18, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

This disclosure describes techniques and apparatuses enabling a wearable haptic and touch communication device. The techniques enable users to interact with their mobile devices using haptics, both to receive information from their devices and to make selections for their devices. The techniques may also enable users to interact with mobile devices without the aid of visual display or audio output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A dual-side haptic device comprising:
a first electropolymer element; a second electropolymer element; and a touch element having multiple voids,
the first electropolymer element configured to provide haptic output via contact with human skin when in an actuated state;
the second electropolymer element configured to provide haptic guides when in an actuated state, the haptic guides provided through the multiple voids of the touch element and differentiating regions of the touch element; and
the touch element configured to receive touch input through the regions of the touch element.

2 . The dual-side haptic device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a control element, the control element including an electroactive polymer actuator array configured to actuate the first electropolymer element or the second electropolymer element.

3 . The dual-side haptic device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the control element is configured to sense touch input through deformation of the haptic guides.

4 . The dual-side haptic device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a power source; one or more computer processors; and one or more computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the one or more computer processors, cause the power source to apply a voltage signal effective to expand portions of the second electropolymer element through multiple ones of the voids in the touch element to provide the haptic guides.

5 . The dual-side haptic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first electropolymer element is integrated with a control element of the dual-side haptic device.

6 . The dual-side haptic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the touch element is a touch-sensitive display.

7 . A wearable haptic and touch enabled communication device comprising:
an inner surface having a skin-contact region configured to provide haptic output via contact with human skin; an outer surface configured to receive touch input; a network interface; and a haptic controller, the haptic controller configured to:
receive data through the network interface;
cause the skin-contact region to provide haptic output, the provided haptic output corresponding to the received data;
receive touch input through the outer surface; and
cause the network interface to transmit data, the transmitted data corresponding to the received touch input.

8 . The wearable haptic and touch enabled communication device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the skin-contact region comprises an electroactive polymer actuator array.

9 . The wearable haptic and touch enabled communication device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the inner surface and the outer surface are integrated in a cohesive stack, the cohesive stack comprising a touch element of the outer surface that is configured to receive touch input and the skin-contact region of the inner surface.

10 . The wearable haptic and touch enabled communication device as recited in claim 9 , wherein the skin-contact region includes a first electropolymer element configured, when in both an actuated state and unactuated state, to be capable of contact with human skin, and the touch element of the outer surface includes a second electropolymer element configured, when in an actuated state, to project through the touch element effective to provide haptic projections.

11 . The wearable haptic and touch enabled communication device as recited in claim 9 , wherein the skin-contact region includes a first electropolymer element configured, when in both an actuated state and unactuated state, to be capable of contact with human skin, and the touch element of the outer surface includes a second electropolymer element configured, when in both an actuated state and unactuated state, to be capable of receiving touch input.

12 . The wearable haptic and touch enabled communication device as recited in claim 11 , wherein the second electropolymer element is at least partially transparent effective to enable a display residing beneath the second electropolymer element to be visible.

13 . The wearable haptic and touch enabled communication device as recited in claim 7 , further comprising a touch element residing beneath an electropolymer element of the outer surface, the touch element capable of receiving touch input without direct contact.

14 . The wearable haptic and touch enabled communication device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the outer surface includes haptic guides that are capable of being actuated to provide physical structures or visual cues to regions or controls on the outer surface, the regions or controls capable of receiving touch input.

15 . The wearable haptic and touch enabled communication device as recited in claim 14 , wherein the outer surface is configured to receive touch input through a touch element having capacitive proximity sensors.

16 . The wearable haptic and touch enabled communication device as recited in claim 15 , wherein the touch element resides external to the haptic guides when the haptic guides are not actuated and internal to the haptic guides when the haptic guides are actuated.

17 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving data through a network interface of a wearable haptic and touch communication device; causing a skin-contact region of the wearable haptic and touch communication device to provide haptic output, the provided haptic output corresponding to the received data; receiving touch input through an outer surface of the wearable haptic and touch communication device; and causing the network interface to transmit data, the transmitted data corresponding to the received touch input.

18 . The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , wherein the outer surface of the wearable haptic and touch communication device includes a touch-sensitive display and the touch input is received through the touch-sensitive display.

19 . The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , wherein the outer surface of the wearable haptic and touch communication device includes touch-sensitive buttons or controls and the touch input is received through the touch-sensitive buttons or controls.

20 . The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , wherein the data received through the network interface is received through a personal-area network and from a computing device communicatively linked to the wearable haptic and touch communication device.

Assignees

• Motorola Mobility Llc

Inventors

• Deokar Itisha C
• Slaby Jiri

Classifications

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F3/016

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G06F3/0445

  using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer · CPC title

• G06F1/163 Primary

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• G09B21/004

  Details of particular tactile cells, e.g. electro-mechanical or mechanical layout · CPC title